On a road trip into rock, canyon and absolute nothingness, we have discovered strange life (or no life at all) in the most barren and remote regions of the Utah and Nevada deserts.
Townsend's Warbler-How does a warbler get here?
The birding hotspots are few and far between in these hostile environments. I normally don't prefer these kinds of treks(the DRIVE!) but the life bird challenge continues and forces me into new regions. There are places you can't avoid for certain birds.
Great Blue Heron along a waterway
In a way, it's good because it forces me to see the beauty of those places. While in Utah, we were also very responsible birders. I remember there was a bit of time involved several months ago as we planned our trek through this conservative state. I'm not a big fan of any organized religion. While everyone was polite and all smiles in Utah, there was a plastic feel to it all. So we used our own plastic to support the small businesses that we felt made a positive impact for ALL. I have not forgotten Proposition 8 and it still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. When we bird in various locations, we also try to support the birding establishments or conservation efforts happening in that locale.
Like any trek, we found a lot of amazing things in the many various habitats. There were rocks. Rocks with trees. Rocks with streams. A weird need for grass lawns that don't belong in a desert full of rocks. And so on and so forth.....
There were wonderful slot canyons that we explored just for fun. I loved that they were dark and cooler. The heat in the West has still been a bit much. Temps hit the 90's while we were in Southern Utah.
We visited places like the Hoover Dam(above) and Arches National Monument(below) while surveying these areas for birds.
Over the next several weeks, we'll take a look at several stunning places during our visit. I am thankful we had a friend in Salt Lake City show us some of the incredible birding hotspots around the lake.
Winged Figures of the Republic
The most exciting part of this particular trip was discovering my first wild Bighorn Sheep in southern Nevada. We nearly got into an accident as we approached this often difficult to see mammal. I've been in Arizona for 18 years and have never seen one of these sheep....so it was as Donald Trump says, "HUGE!". When you see a barren rocky landscape and think to yourself, "What lives here?"; you'll now know the answer:)
The Hoover Dam was the Hoover Dam. It was interesting but I could only find a couple coots(the bird kind:) and like a billion tourists. We didn't stay long.
And somehow we found wildlife in these desolate or overcrowded areas. Most people never even noticed the few critters that stayed hidden in the shadows. Part of that had to do with the heat! Everyone was on the move. But the critters knew best:)
Townsend's Warbler
We kick off next week in a spectacular fashion. Please join us as we'll explore an amazing park located in Southern Utah.
It's not always about the birds, plants or landscapes. Sometimes it's about the furry critters great and small that we find on the trails. Here are just several from the various photo shoots around Arizona and Colorado. Spying on birds has led me to these wonderful mammals by accident. Many times they are unaware that I am near. Birds will fly around people, but mammals hide. Most of these shots were taken in the absence of humankind. Do you have a special encounter? And if so, which critter was it? And where did it happen? Hope you have a wonderful weekend! Chris
Gray Squirrel at Ramsey Canyon
Rock Squirrel at Box Canyon
Coyote near the Santa Cruz River, Tucson
Javelina in Patagonia, AZ
Antelope Ground Squirrel at Saguaro National Park, Rincon Unit
Bobcats in the shade. Tucson, AZ
Bighorn Sheep at the Desert Museum, AZ
Mountain Lion at the Desert Museum, AZ
Ocelot at the Desert Museum, AZ
Mule Deer in Yarnell, AZ
Hooded Skunk on the Proctor Trail, Madera Canyon, AZ
Coati, Madera Canyon
Red Fox at Bear Creek Nature Center, Colorado Springs
Sonoran Pronghorn, Empire Ranch near Sonoita
Jackrabbit at Saguaro National Park
Mexican Fox Squirrel, Portal, AZ
Coues White-tailed Deer near Ramsey Canyon
Feral Cat, El Presidio Gardens, Tucson
Feral Cats checking out the bird feeders at El Presidio
It was a day off from road treks. So I took my other half Pat to the Desert Museum near Tucson. The purpose of this visit was to check out the new Warden Aquarium.
Mountain Lion
I counted wild birds while working on my photography skills. And to be honest, I am getting to the point in birding where I just want to watch birds and not have to take pictures of them. My number one rule is "Get a good shot of the lifebird". Afterwards, just enjoy the observations.
Emperor Swallowtail on Hibiscus
And while I've seen all of these birds in the wild, it's not always easy to get up close and personal. So I figured, why not cheat and get some great stock photos from these birds? National Geographic does it as do many other wildlife photographers! And how do I know??? After staying at many birder bed and breakfast places, the owners tell us what some of these photography gurus do:) I still prefer the wildlife shots but it's still nice to see the details.
Western Screech Owl
And so I had a blast:)
In the wild, as most of us know, it's important to stay quiet and completely still.
Ocelot
Moving a camera up with its very audible "click" will scare away some of our elusive friends.
Today's challenge though was to capture the beauty and personality of the animal filmed. It was about NOT taking that "zoo pic" but capturing the essence and personality of the subject.
I have an affinity for owls. Owls trump most birds except maybe the Harpy Eagle. Or the Toucan. Maybe a parrot:) Well....you get the idea:)
As I'm understanding the wildlife better, my fears are also quieting down a bit. The Barn Owl flew near my ear and everyone went, "Oh my gosh guy!" One time a Bobcat came running towards me and then turned to the side. It didn't frighten me. I'm always super careful but I'm learning to read animal and bird behavior better. The Owl was just going after food. The Bobcat was only running down the path to capture a mouse.
Bobcats
Now I've heard stories. Canada and the northern parts of the United States have issues with Great-horned Owls going after "Soccer" Moms. I couldn't figure out why this was happening until it was mentioned that while running, their ponytails looked like moving mice. I laughed at first and then thought about it visually. A head injury from owl talons is not cool. So to those soccer moms out there, cover up! And hide that ponytail under a baseball cap! Public Radio is so informative:)
There is a story out there just waiting to be written and I hope to write it for you all one day. Arizona is/was home to several parrot species. I will be studying these birds over the next year here in Arizona. I hope to find some(beyond the lovebirds and monk parrots of Phoenix and Casa Grande). The Thick-billed Parrot is a rare treasure and if you ever come across one, consider yourself extremely lucky! It is endangered and while there is a successful captive program going on around the country, these birds have lost ground to habitat destruction, poaching, and high predation from hawks like the Northern Goshawk. The reintroduction to the Madrean islands looks to be highly unlikely. Currently these birds are found in the Mexican state of Chihuahua and I'm thinking a trip there would be fun.
However, Western Screech Owls are common in Tucson. Here's one below I recently took in the wild. Not the greatest of shots, but these tiny owls are still a wonderful find!
I've been thinking about adding an owl box to my garden here at El Presidio. The only issue? 3 feral cats that roam freely thanks to ghetto neighbors. I love cats. I love owls. But if I saw an owl killed by a feral cat, it would be the cats end. I'd capture it and have it taken to Pima Animal Control. And bye bye feral cat. They kill over 3 billion birds a year! We have 5 cats at our place and they are not allowed outside. But they do get an entertainment window to watch birds. It's a win win for birds and cats alike.
And so, the owl nesting box will have to wait until Greystoke, Tubby, and Bear no longer come around.
This spring I will be working on my butterfly garden again. This past summer, we saw so many of them around our property. It's all about using the right plants:)
I can now relax my camera when it comes to the Barn and Western Screech Owls.
The little guy below was very curious.
I think snakes are cool(when they are behind glass). This Mohave Rattlesnake gave me the shivers. There's nothing worse than coming across a snake in the wild while birding. I now have a first aid kit for that potential bite.
Mohave Rattlesnake
One trek I have yet to make is to the Aravapai reserve. It's home to many of our Bighorn Sheep.
Bighorn Sheep
Soon our hummingbirds will have babies.
And as for the aquarium??? It was divine! Check out the video below from my Iphone:) Until next time.....
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